Hearing for a murder case facing Naftali Kinuthia, a man accused of killing Moi University final year Medical student – Ivy Wangeci, has been postponed to June 2022.
The case was to continue on March 15 and 16, 2022, but failed to, after lawyers representing the accused were nowhere to be seen in court for the two days.
Asked about their whereabouts, the court was told that one lawyer was sick, and the other was held up in political campaigns for the August 9 poll.
High Court Judge Stephen Githinji had allocated the two days so as to allow the prosecution to finalize presenting their witnesses.
Four witnesses have not yet testified in the case in which Naftali Kinuthia is charged for brutally hacking to death the Moi University student.
It had been expected that testimonies for the four remaining witnesses would have been presented in court.
Justice Githinji, who has since been transferred to Malindi directed the hearing for the case to be rescheduled to June 14 and 15th.
Ndegwa Kiroko, a lawyer for the victim’s family termed failure for his colleagues to appear in court for the suspect as part of the delay tactics that Naftali Kinuthia is using.
The family has in the past lamented over the slow pace the case was being handled, prompting Chief Justice Martha Koome to direct Justice Githinji to remain hearing the case despite being transferred.
Over 20 witnesses had been lined up by the prosecution team to argue the case against the accused.
Naftali Kinuthia is facing a murder charge, being accused of killing Ivy Wangeci, using an ax on April 19, 2019, outside the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH).
The accused is said to have hit Wangeci on her head using an ax, killing her on the spot.
He has since denied committing the crime. His attempts to secure release on bail pending hearing and determination of the case have been rejected three times by the court.
that laywer who says he’s busy campaigning isn’t serious
wonders never cease in kenyaa